Construction safety anchor means

ABSTRACT

Safety anchor means for use in conjunction with such as I-beams or reinforcing steel for poured in place reinforced concrete or the like at construction sites, the safety anchor means being disposed at spaced intervals along the I-beam or reinforced concrete and being adapted to support such as safety rails and toe boards and being in part releasably affixed to the I-beam or reinforcing steel for reuse at other construction sites, and being in part embedded in the concrete or fixed to the reinforcing steel and expendable.

[ Nov. 18, 1975 United States Patent 1 Berry et al.

3,480,257 11/1969 Bourn et 3,632,089 1/1972 Smith..............

3,785,602 l/l974 Juculano........................

FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS Orson R. Curtis, Box 149, Cobalt, Conn. 06414 May 31, 1973 767,212 l/1957 United Kingdom....,....... 256/DIG. 6

Primary ExaminerDennis L. Taylor [22] Filed:

[21] Appl. No.: 365,622

ABSTRACT Safety anchor means for use in conjunction with such 52 US. (:1. 256/59; 52/707; 256/65 51 Im. E0411 17/14 as l-beams or remforcmg Steel for Poured 101aCe [58] Field of 256/1, 59, 65; 182/113;

inforced concrete or the like at construction sites, the

248/228, 52/707 safety anchor means being disposed at spaced intervals along the I-beam or reinforced concrete and References Cited being adapted to support such assafety rails and toe UNITED STATES PATENTS boards and being in part releasably affixed to the I- beam or reinforcing steel for reuse at other construction sites, and being in part embedded ,in the concrete or fixed to the reinforcing steel and expendable.

248/228 3 Claims, 10 Drawing Figures 22m mun 88W 44 22 Anderson....

Squire......... Whitman n e S e g r e B U.S-. Patent Nov. 18,1975 Sheet 1 of3 US. Patent Nov. 18, 1975 Sheet 2 of3 3,920,221

FIG.2

U.S-. Patent Nov. 18, 1975 Sheet 3 of3 3,920,221

I 2 FIGS CONSTRUCTION SAFETY ANCHOR MEA S A primary object of the invention is to provide strong, relatively inexpensive anchor means for use at construction sites to support themandatory safety rails which guard against falls by workmen and to support tools and equipthe toe board .whichguards against ment falling from the work site. J

Our invention was devised to meet the stringent .local, State and Federal safety regulations which require safety rails and toe boards at, all elevated constructio'ri sites.

The safety anchor means hereof may bequickly and easily installed and the requisite safety rails and toe board put in place and, conversely, it..may be readily dismantled and moved to another location. In a preferred embodiment, the safety anchor means comprises, an expendable clamp and/or coupling which is fixed to the I-beam or reinforcing steel, anda postwhich supports the safety rails and toe board and is re- FIG. 1 is a broken perspective view of construction safety anchor means embodying a preferred form .of the invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary end elevational I view thereof;

FIG. 3 is'a cross-sectional view showing the device following removal of the post. and after pouring of concrete; I

FIGS. 4 and 5 are fragmentary cross-sectional ,views of first and second modified forms of the invention;

FIG. 6 is a'fragmentary end elevational. view of a modified form of safety rail support;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary elevational view ofa modified form of the invention for use with poured in place reinforced concrete. spandrel beams;

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary elevational view of another modified form of the invention for use with poured in place reinforced concrete spandrel beams;

FIG. 9 is an enlarged broken top plan view of the form of the invention of FIG. 7; and

FIG. 10 is an enlarged'top plan view of the form of the invention of FIG. 8. s I

As seen in FIG. 1, construction safety anchor means embodying a preferred form of the invention is generally indicated by 10 and is intended primarily for use in conjunction with such as I-beams 12 at building cona post-24 sleeved on the shaft and extending vertically upwardly'therefrom. 1

, A pair of spaced U-brackets 26 extend outwardly from post 24 adjacent the upper end thereof, the U- brackets serving to loosely support safety rails 14. which extend between the anchor means 10 spaced along I- -beam 12.

- A-toeboard bracket 28 is fixed to and extends outwardly from a collar 30 which loosely sleeves post 24 immediately upwardly of coupling 20, the toe board bracket including a pair of depending fingers 32 at'its outer end-between which the toe board passes, one of the fingers having openings 34 therein to allow nails or other securing means,not shown, to be driven into the toe board to holdit firmly in place.

' Bracket 18 comprises a pair of half-parts 36 and 38, each half-part embracing an edge of the'upper surface of the'I-beam l2.

Half-part 36'hasa depending flange 40 which curves downwardly and inwardly so as to underlie the upper wall of the I-beam on one side of the I-beam web, while half-part 38 has a depending flange 42 which curves downwardly and inwardly so as to underlie the upper wall of the l-beam on the other side of the I-beam web. A flange 44 extends u pwardly from the upper portion of 'half part 38, the-flange having'a central opening therein through which one end of a screw 46 may extend, the opposite end of the screw passing through a sleeve 48 fixed-to an abutment 50 provided on the upper portion of half-part 36.

Rotation of screw 40 in one direction will cause the half-parts to be drawn closer together to firmly grip the struction sites to provide support for safetyrails 14 and atoe board 16.

A plurality of safety anchor means 10 arepreferably disposed at approximately eight-foot intervals along the length of the l-beam to provide strong support for the safety rails and toe board.

The safety anchor means are preferably between three and one-half and four feet inheight so as to extend well above the level of the l-beam, wherefore the safety rails 14 are strategically disposed to protect workmen against falls.

The toe board 16 is preferably disposed immediately above the I-beam to protect against the contingency of tools or equipment falling from the work area.

In the FIG. 1 embodiment, safety anchor means 10 includes a clamp 18 for securement to the I-beam, a coupling 20 fixed to and extending vertically upwardly from the clamp, a shaft 22 threaded in the coupling and lbeam, while rotation of the screw in an opposite direction will move the half-parts apart.

Nuts 52 threaded on the screw at opposite ends thereof lock the half-parts in desired positions of adjustment. I

Coupling-20 is fixed to and extends upwardly from the upper surface of half-part 36.,

The lower end of shaft 22 is threaded as at 54 and is threadedly engaged in coupling 20.

i The lower end of post, 24 is sleeved on shaft 22 and is held in a slightly elevated position above the I-beam as by a set screw 56 which passes through the post and bears at its inner end on the shaft, the set screw preferably having a nut 58 threaded on its outer free end and bearing against the post.

The safety anchor means is so constructedthat it may be left in, place on the I-beam while concrete is being poured to formfloors and the like. Following such pouring and after the concrete has set, a portion of the safety anchormeans may be removed and used again at another location.

In building construction concrete is normally poured to a thickness of between two to six inches above the l-beam. To allow sufficient clearance for the concrete, toe board bracket 18 and the toe board attached thereto are raised relative to post 24 and the post itself is raised upwardly relative 'to shaft 22 by loosening set screw 56 and nut 58 and the post is then locked at the desired height by tightening the set screw and nut, at which time the concrete may be poured over the I- beam, the clamp 18, shaft 22 and coupling 20.

After the concrete has set, the post 24 may be raised off of shaft 22 and moved to another location, leaving the shaft extending outwardly from the upper surface of the concrete.

The shaft may be removed by unscrewing it from the coupling, a through-hole 60 being provided in the shaft whereby a toolrnay be inserted therein to assist in shaft rotation and to free the shaft from the concrete.

The resultingstructure is shown in FIG. 3, wherein concrete C overlies I-beam 12,1 and surrounds bracket 18 andcoupling 22, with a hole 62 left in the concrete 4 1' two half-parts being joined as ing therebetween and fixed thereto at its opposite ends as by welding or the like.

The half-parts are in the form of U-clamps through which the bars 313 pass and have bolts 340 extending therethrough, thebolts havingnuts 342 threaded by the removal of shaft 22, which hole may be filled or I left unfilled at the option of the builder or, architect Of course, clamp .18 and coupling 22 remain embedded in the concrete, they being expendable. V

In the form of the invention shown in FIG. 4, the

clamp 18is omitted. Herein, a coupling 120extends' upwardly from'a plate 121 fixed tothe upper surface of I-beam 12 as by weldments W or the like As with the embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 2, shaft 22 is threaded in the coupling I and post 24 sleeved on the shaft, the post and shaft. being removed after the,

concrete has set, leaving the coupling 120 and plate 121 embedded inthe concrete, they being expendable.

Clamp 18' is also omitted in the modified form of the Y invention shown in FIG. 5,.wherein a. coupling 220 extends upwardly from a plate 221: fixed to theuppersur: face of l-beam '12 as by weldments W. or the like. In this instance, however, a shaft'222 is sleeved on the coupling rather than being threaded therein while the post 24 is sleeved onthe shaft as with the other embodi ments.

A shear pin 223 passes throughthe shaft 222 and;

coupling 220', the pin being of suitable material so as to shear upon rotation'of the shaft to permit removal of the shaft after the concrete has set.

In allembodirnents, a soft, thin plastic sleeve, not

shown, may besleeved on the shaft 22 or 222 so that place reinforced concrete. spandrel bearnsas indicated in FIGS57 l0. 7

Herein the poured in place concrete beams are indicated by 3123 and have the: usual steel reinforcing bars 313, extending therethrough and outwardly therefrom,

with the base portion of the safety anchor means being fixed to the reinforcing bars.

In the embodiment of FIGS. 7 and 9, the, safety anchormeans extendsbetween a pair of reinforcing bars 313 and comprises a first half-part 336 fixed to one bar and a second half-.partfixedto the other bar, with the thereon for tightening the clamps upon the bars.

The half-part 336 has acoupling 320 fixed thereto 1 and extending upwardly therefrom, the coupling being adapted to receive theshaft 22, (not shown), therein in. p the manner as indicated with reference to the FIG. I embodiment, the shaft 22, in tum, having the post 24,

also, not shown, sleeved thereon.

In the FIGS18 and 10 embodiment acoupling 420 is fixed :to a plate 42l which is mounted on a pair of spaced tie bars 438 and 439.

The tie bars are adapted to be fixed to the reinforcing bars 313 as by welding or the like in the manner shown in FIG, 8. Here again, the post 24, not shown, is releas-y ably associated withthe coupling in the manner indi cated inconnection with the FIGrl embodiment.

We claim: V

1. In safety anchor means for use in conjunction with such as, an I-beamor reinforcing steel for poured-inplace reinforced concrete or the like at spaced intervals I along: the I-beam or reinforced concrete for the support of safety. rails and/0r toe boards, the improvement comprising: expendable anchor support means permanently fixed to the I-bearn or reinforcing steel, and safety rail and toe board support; means releasably attached to the anchor support means for ready removal and reuse at 1 another construction site the anchor support means including a clamp fixed to the l-beamand a coupling fixed to the clamp, and the safety rail and toe board support means including: a shaft releasably engaged with the coupling and. a post releasably engaged with:

the shaft. 7

2. In safety anchormeans for use in conjunction with such as an I-beam or reinforcingsteel for poured-inplace reinforced concrete or the like at spaced intervals along the l-beam or reinforced concrete for the support of safety rails and/or toe boards, the improvement comprising: expandable anchor support means: permanently fixed to the I-beam or reinforcing steel, and safety rail and toe board support means releasably attached to the anchor support means for ready removal and reuse at another construction site, the anchor support, means including a coupling fixed to the 'I-be am or reinforcing,

steel, and the safety rail and toe boardsupport means including a shaft releasably engaged with the coupling and a post releasably engaged with the shaft.

3. In the safety anchor means according to claim 2,

the shaft being threadedly engaged with the coupling;

by a tie bar 338 extend- 

1. In safety anchor means for use in conjunction with such as an I-beam or reinforcing steel for poured-in-place reinforced concrete or the like at spaced intervals along the I-beam or reinforced concrete for the support of safety rails and/or toe boards, the improvement comprising: expendable anchor support means permanently fixed to the I-beam or reinforcing steel, and safety rail and toe board support means releasably attached to the anchor support means for ready removal and reusE at another construction site the anchor support means including a clamp fixed to the I-beam and a coupling fixed to the clamp, and the safety rail and toe board support means including a shaft releasably engaged with the coupling and a post releasably engaged with the shaft.
 2. In safety anchor means for use in conjunction with such as an I-beam or reinforcing steel for poured-in-place reinforced concrete or the like at spaced intervals along the I-beam or reinforced concrete for the support of safety rails and/or toe boards, the improvement comprising: expandable anchor support means permanently fixed to the I-beam or reinforcing steel, and safety rail and toe board support means releasably attached to the anchor support means for ready removal and reuse at another construction site, the anchor support means including a coupling fixed to the I-beam or reinforcing steel, and the safety rail and toe board support means including a shaft releasably engaged with the coupling and a post releasably engaged with the shaft.
 3. In the safety anchor means according to claim 2, the shaft being threadedly engaged with the coupling. 